Germany

Chancellor - Chief Minister advised Kaiser

Bundesrat - Representatives from each state

Reichstag - Parliament

Kaiser - Made all military and foreign decisions and could ignore gov.

In the late 1800s Germany began to industrialise supported by powerful German business men, production of iron and coal doubled. By 1913, Germany was making as much coal as Britain and more iron and steel. By 1914 Germany was making two thirds of europe’s steel. German companies dominated the fields e.g Electrical goods and chemicals.

Spent most of his youth in the army, keen t maintain a powerful army and build up a large navy, took great pride in leading the army, wanted Germany to be a global power and rival Britains empire : Weltpolitik. He was from Prussia where militarism was a big thing.

Many workers were unhappy with low wages and poor working conditions so they joined trade unions and organised strikes to improve pay and working conditions. By 1914 three million workers had joined trade unions. Amongst these workers the Social Democratic Party became popular, it believed in socialism, it hoped the Kaiser would allow the Reichstag to make social reforms to improve workers rights. It disagreed with power and privileged positions. Around one in three Germans voted for this party at this time. Some were extremists wanted to rebel against the Kaiser.

Between 1898 and 1913 a series of Navy Laws were introduced. As a result huge amounts of money was spent to rapidly increase the size of the navy and the army. Because the Kaiser wanted a larger navy to help him take over more countries and protect those already in the German Empire. Taxes were increased and money was borrowed to pay for this. But Germany would remain in debt for a very long time.

Their powerful force would have influence on the Kaiser.

Low wages, Poor working conditions and food was expensive.

They wanted to rebel against the Kaiser and set communism through a revolution.

Very successful by 1913 Germany was producing more iron and steel and as much coal as Britain. As well German companies dominated the chemical and electrical fields in Europe.

Germany to be No.1 on the world stage with the largest empire. Taxes were raised for the Navy Laws. But both the socialists and Great Britain were opposition to this idea.

The Kaiser appoints a chancellor who creates laws which decide how Germany is run but the must be agreed upon by the Reichstag which is becoming increasingly dominated by socialists and the Bundesrat which are representatives from each German state but are dominated by Prussia representatives.

Bundesrat wanted no social reform.

Prussian dominace.

The Kaiser can choose to ignore the Bundesrat and Reichstag.

The Kaiser made all decisions related to the army, navy and other foreign matters.

Too much power for the Kaiser.

Kaiser Pro-Bundesrat.

Kaiser is sole charge on foreign policy.

Hitler wanted to cleanse Germany of anybody who is seen as undesirable. About 350,000 physically and mentally disabled people were forcibly sterilised by the Nazis. From 1939 the Nazis began to murder.

These are the people the didn’t fit Hitlers ideas of the Aryan race: Jews, Blacks, Gays, Pacifists, communists and disabled people who were all sent to concentration camps. Between 1939 and 1945 20% of ethnics were killed as well as six million Jews.

Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 he round up many Polish Jews in Ghettos. Many able bodied men were sent off for slave labour to work in corporations such as Volkswagen. In 1941 Operation Barbarossa gave Germany three million soviet jews and many were killed by Waffen-SS and the Einsatzgruppen. Which were specially organised death squads that operated in Eastern Europe with the sole purpose of mass killing ‘undesirable’ citizens. In Jan 1942 the Wannsee conference happened which resulted in six death camps being set up in Poland. Six million Jews were killed from then on.

A country where police and other organisations liked to the police are very powerful and act on behalf of the government .

Himmer

The Gestapo The SS Concentration Camps The regular Police and Law courts.

The Head of the SS, a loyal Nazi who personally reported to Hitler.

Ordinary police continued their work but ignored crimes committed by nazis. Top jobs went to Nazis. Law Courts and judges were under Nazi control. New laws meant the death penalty could be given for, among other things, telling an anti-Hilter home, having sex with a jew and listening to a foreign radio station.

No uniform spies who spied on people they thought might be a threat. Tapped phone calls and opened mail. Had the power to arrest, imprison without trial and torture anyone. Set up a network of informers who would report anyone who criticised the Nazis. Children were encouraged to report their parents or teachers.

Set up in 1925 and wore black uniforms. They were originally Hitlers personal bodyguards but over time they divided into three sections: The SD (Sicherheitsdienst), The Waffen SS and the Death Heads Units.

They looked after security they could arrest anyone for any reason search homes and seize property .

An elite unit in the army.

They ran the concentration camps and later the death camps.

They were set up as soon as Hitler took power. Large prisons where any ‘enemies of the state’ could be held for any length of time. Anyone the Nazis didn’t like were sent there - Jews, Gypsies, political opponents and anyone who criticised Hitler. Inmates were forced to work hard and some where even tortured or worked to death.

The SS.